House kicks the idea of a carbon tax to the curb

posted at 1:21 pm on August 2, 2013 by Erika Johnsen

As an amendment to the proposed REINS Act legislation that I mentioned the other day, House Republicans added in a very particular amendment on which they all voted this morning that would disallow the White House from ever imposing some kind of carbon tax without prior Congressional approval. Via The Hill:

The lower chamber agreed to Rep. Steve Scalise’s (R-La.) amendment by a 237-176 vote, with 12 Democrats crossing the aisle to support it.

The amendment was added to an underlying bill that would require Congress to OK regulations that carry a $100 million economic impact or greater. …

Scalise’s measure doesn’t have much of a practical implication, as Congress — not the executive branch — is tasked with approving new taxes.

It does, however, put many Democratic lawmakers on record as supporting a carbon tax. The carbon tax concept has riled many conservatives, and many are trying to make sure it doesn’t gain traction. …

“Struggling Americans who have been unable to find a job or have not seen their paychecks grow would be hit with this national energy tax every time they pay their utility bills or fill up their gas tanks or go to the grocery store. It would also be another tax on manufacturers and another increased cost of doing business imposed on middle-class families by the Obama administration,” [Rep. Dave] Camp said in a statement.

While the overall REINS Act is certainly a no-go in the Senate, an anti-carbon tax measure certainly might be able to find enough support in the Senate. The White House has said they have no plans for trying to impose a carbon tax, per se, but hell — with all of the hugely economically damaging regulations both obvious and obscure they have running out of the EPA’s rulemaking pipeline, why would we trust those guys?

The real point of this exercise, however, wasn’t quite so much to block any immediate threat of specific White-House carbon-tax action as it was to express some preemptive opposition as well as to get Democrats on the record as for or against the idea. Smart.

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Good for them.
At least 237 congresscritters either are too smart for this carbon crap or they are too scared to face their constituents who are probably more knowledgeable, regardless of the MSM’s attemps to perpetuate the man-caused carbon catastrophe.

Ever wonder how much carbon the earth spews in various forms? Do you think human contribution is anything more than noise? It’s insignificant.

Kabuki indeed. Did they run out of new post offices and federal buildings to find names for? Maybe there can be some more hearings on performance enhancing substances by athletes. Oh hell, let’s invite some sports teams in for special recognitions. Let’s get a Charlie Rangel Day proclamation from the senate while we’re at it.

It’s a great idea to get Democrats on the record as favoring unpopular things like cap & trade or a carbon tax — or funding Obamacare.

So that’s why I think we should at least make an effort to defund Obamacare. It’s one of those things that if we don’t do it, will be second guessing that for years to come. Sure, there maybe a bit a negative electoral consequence, but there’s a greater probability that it will have a positive electoral impact, by getting so many Dems on the record energetically defending unpopular Obamacare.

“A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once.” Apply to this Obamacare defunding issue?

But, on carbon taxes…
With the exception of some real real old guard Republicans like the 93 year old George Schultz who we love, the carbon tax idea is only pitched by the loons on the left. It would have devastating effects on the economy, depending on how high the tax, and added to that would be the transactional and administrative red tape costs. A carbon tax cuts at the very essence of what drives our economic output: energy!

And no, fantastically expensive windmills and solar aren’t going to help. We simply can’t afford any more fanciful “sustainable” energy. What isn’t sustainable is the inordinate levels of govt dollars squandered on these projects, and the negative effects of this is easily seen in particular in Europe where they went truly overboard with green energy. This green energy lunacy has played a major factor in Europe’s continuing financial crisis.

The White House has no plans to “impose” a carbon tax? Don’t they have to go through Congress to do that? Has Obama, or anyone else in that White House, ever taken a civics course?

Let’s make a law, no more stupid Harvard Educated lawyers in the White House. I have no idea where they get their ideas on the constitution, but someone needs to make sure that, one of the qualifications for being President is you have to understand the Constitution.